Fruit - Packaging

Date: 1906-1907

From: New Zealand. Department of Labour :Photograph albums for the International Exhibition, Christchurch, 1906-1907

By: New Zealand. Department of Labour; Hemus & Hanna (Firm)

Reference: PA1-o-370

Description: Photographs of various factories and businesses in Auckland, taken circa 1906. They include interior and exterior views and employees. Photographers not identified except those of D S C Drapers shop and furniture factory which were taken by J. Hanna of Hemus & Hanna. Other Titles - N.Z. Department of Labour Other Titles - Factories and workrooms, Auckland Quantity: 1 album(s) Album(s). Physical Description: Album with tan leather cover, entitled `N.Z. Department of Labour. Factories and workrooms, Auckland. N.Z. International Exhibition, Christchurch, 1906-7'; 25.5 x 32.5 cm

Date: 30 Oct 1996

From: A taste of gold oral history project

By: Ormandy, Mary, 1932-

Reference: OHInt-0446-11

Description: Mary Ormandy was born in Alexandra in 1932. Describes how her grandfather planted the family orchard in 1919 and her mother took it over later. Describes working in the orchard with a baby in a pram after marriage. Mentions she also worked at the Taylor orchard at Conroy's and comments that she has worked for four generations of Taylors over a fifty year period. Describes both the change in fruit type and in varieties of fruit. Discusses the importance of shelf life and appearance now in terms of marketing fruit. Comments on the reduction in flavour. Talks about the increase in the production of fruit for the domestic market. Describes the hydro ladder now used for picking. Compares the old wooden boxes worn round the neck for picking and the buckets now used. Discusses packing in wooden or cardboard boxes and describes the box construction. Comments on the high quality of the Taylor's fruit, changes in frost fighting, improvements in spraying technique and protective clothing, cool stores and the use of fruit pallets. Describes good working conditions and staff relationships at the Taylor's orchard. Mentions the morning and afternoon teas which Belle Taylor used to make and the staff bus which runs from Alexandra during cherry picking. Comments that the need to select fruit for picking means that it cannot be a mechanized job. Discusses the work ethic of some young pickers. Interviewer(s) - Janis Morgan Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-008568 Quantity: 1 C60 cassette(s). 1 transcript(s). 1 interview(s). 1 Hours Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - transcript(s) available OHA-2670.

Date: 28 Jul 1996

From: A taste of gold oral history project

By: Duncan, Anne, 1933-; Morgan, Janis, active 1997

Reference: OHInt-0446-02

Description: Anne Duncan was born in Dunedin in 1933. Mentions that her mother was Isobel McArthur from Strath Clyde and her father, Geoff Taylor, grew up on the family orchard in the Conroys Gully area. Gives details about the Taylor family. Comments on the influence of both the Taylor and Dawson grandmothers in establishing the orchard. Describes how Granny Dawson acquired the trees for the orchard by bartering produce. Talks about the location of the orchard. Describes the original house on the orchard, `Rosevale', the cottage and `Knowl Top' which was built in the 1920s. Recalls the vegetable garden, flower garden, tennis courts and shrubbery. Describes how her mother was the main caregiver for the children, cooked for large numbers on the orchard, worked in the packing shed and was active in the local community. Describes how students working on the orchard were treated as family members and became lifetime friends. Recalls tennis parties and swimming at Conroys Dam. Recalls the role of her father in orchard planning and management and his involvement with the DSIR. Talks about his having gone to Ruakura after high school before returning to the orchard. Mentions the orchard was part of the research station at Earnscleugh and he attended meetings in Wellington. Describes how the seven children in the family attended boarding school either at Waitaki Boys High School or Craighead. Recalls helping on the orchard as children, going rabbiting and smashing birds' eggs to reduce the number of birds. Discusses the orchard's reputation for quality over one hundred and thirty years. Mentions that Taylors and Iversons were the first orchardists in the area. Recalls stone cottages built by Chinese miners in the area. Mentions the film `Illustrious energy' which was made in the area. Describes how they began producing the Dawson cherry and gives details of other varieties of cherries. Mentions apricots, peaches and nectarines. Comments on her father's willingness to experiment. Describes cultivation and spraying. Comments on the absence of protective clothing. Recalls the use of frost pots from the 1940s to 1960s to prevent the effects of frost on the fruit. Describes how labour intensive this system was and its replacement by overhead sprinkler systems. Describes how the picking was done with a box being worn around the neck by the picker. Comments on different pay rates for male and female pickers. Describes how fruit was graded and packed. Recalls the beginning of fruit being flown directly from Alexandra to the North Island by Bristol Freighter. Mentions that this no longer happens. Describes the role of Turners and Growers in this process. Discusses how decisions were made on sending fruit to the various markets. Recalls family holidays at Warrington. Interviewer(s) - Janis Morgan Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-008552 - OHC-008553 Quantity: 2 C60 cassette(s). 1 transcript(s). 1 interview(s). 2 Hours Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - transcript(s) available OHA-2660.

Date: 18 Jul 1997

From: A taste of gold oral history project

By: Campbell, John Douglas, 1952-; Gough, Elaine, active 1997

Reference: OHInt-0446-01

Description: John Campbell was born in Clyde in 1952. Describes the location of the orchard on Conroys Road bounded on one side by the Black Ridge vineyard. Talks about his father buying the land in 1951, his coming in to the partnership in the mid 1970s and taking the property over in 1980. Mentions attending Massey University and being a fourth generation orchardist. Comments that it is good orchard land because of the mixture of soil types. Describes changes in the role of women on orchards. Notes that the main role of his mother was to cook for staff while his wife runs the packing shed, accounts and is also often outside in the orchard. Comments on new varieties of fruit particularly cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots and apples. Discusses the need to keep up to date with fruit varieties and that the life of a tree is now about fifteen years. Mentions that this requires long term planning. Discusses cultivation, pruning, irrigation, frost prevention, frost and hail damage, spraying, picking, packaging, marketing and the role of advisors. Discusses permanent and seasonal staff. Comments on the increasing amount of fruit exported, the size of orchards and the cost of fruit. Interviewer(s) - Elaine Gough Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-008551 Quantity: 1 C60 cassette(s). 1 transcript(s). 1 interview(s). 1 Hours Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-2659.

Date: 21 Nov 1996 - 28 Nov 1996

From: A taste of gold oral history project

By: Hinton, William Howard, 1921-

Reference: OHInt-0446-14

Description: Howard Hinton was born in Dunedin in 1921. Describes how his grandfather, Howard Hinton, had a jam factory called Stellar Jams, in south Dunedin. Mentions that his father met his mother when they both worked there. Discusses how his grandfather bought orchard land in Earnscleugh in 1911 to provide fruit for the jam factory and his parents moved up to establish the orchard probably about 1920. Describes their trip which took twenty four hours from Dunedin to Alexandra in a Model T. Mentions his father trained at Annan's orchard. Describes how extra land was acquired over the years and the various blocks held. Mentions that he and two brothers, Ken and Grenville, were away during World War II and his father bought land for them. Mentions that the orchard in the Cromwell Gorge was lost as a result of the Clyde dam. Comments on soil and availability of water for irrigation as a result of the construction of the Fraser Dam during the Depression. Notes that the Earnscleugh Irrigation Company now operates this. Explains that the sprinklers used for frost fighting are the same ones used for irrigation. Describes how his father was the first orchardist to plant his orchard in grass rather than cultivate it. Talks about growing cherries, pears, plums, apricots, nectarines, peaches and apples. Discusses pruning, picking techniques and spraying including lack of protective clothing in the early days of spraying. Describes how fruit is no longer handled as much as in the days of hand grading. Describes leaving school during the Depression to work on the orchard. Recalls that his father and a land girl maintained the orchard during World War II while he and his brothers were overseas. Comments on the changing role of women in orcharding. Describes how his mother cooked for staff, worked in the packing shed and looked after eight children but was not involved in decision-making. Discusses the role of his daughter-in-law in decision-making and running the packing and export operation. Talks about working on the orchard as a child and mentions that his children and some grandchildren have worked on the orchard. Notes that his son Nigel Hinton is in charge and his grandson, who has qualified in Business Management, works for the orchard. Mentions that there is a permanent staff of about nine and seventy temporary staff during the picking season. Discusses new varieties of apricot including Clutha Gold, Clutha Sun and Clutha Late. Talks about varieties of other fruit and the role of the consumer in helping determine varieties planted. Discusses supply by nurseries in Nelson, Palmerston North and Hamilton. Describes the old system of dispatching fruit by private order. Discusses old and new ways of packing fruit. Describes the use of cool stores mainly for apples. Mentions that 90% of their market is the export market, including the Middle East and Asia, and the smaller orchards supply locally. Discusses the formation by Nigel Hinton and others of Clutha Valley Exports, a syndicate of growers, which has been very successful in Asia. Comments that technology has improved operations but frost is sill a problem. Interviewer(s) - Janis Morgan Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-008557 - OHC-008559 Quantity: 3 C60 cassette(s). 1 transcript(s). 1 interview(s). 3 Hours Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - transcript(s) available OHA-2664.

Date: 28 Apr 1997

From: A taste of gold oral history project

By: Ferris, Patricia Barbara, 1926-

Reference: OHInt-0446-03

Description: Pat Ferris was born in Alexandra in 1926. Talks about her parents Philip and Irene Haydock who moved on to their orchard in Conroy's Gully in 1942 or 1943. Recalls neighbours Mon McGinnis and Geoff Taylor. Mentions they sold the orchard to Geoff Taylor about 1958 or 1959. Recalls a lot of contact between the children and neighbours in the area. Comments on the role of women on orchards - doing a lot of cooking in addition to work in the packing shed. Recalls enjoying delivering fruit to the rail and preferring to do housework to orchard work. Describes biking to Alexandra. Describes dances in the Earnsleugh and Fruitlands halls, particularly at the end of World War II. Talks about growing cherries, pears, apples and plums. Mentions that Stan Hanning worked for their orchard. Describes irrigation from the Conroys Gully water race, frost pots, picking fruit into a box round the neck and the electric grader for grading fruit. Interviewer(s) - Elaine Gough Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-008554 Quantity: 1 C60 cassette(s). 1 transcript(s). 1 interview(s). 1 Hours Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - transcript(s) available OHA-2661.